Tips for Successful News Publishing Partnerships

Staff — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 15:18:40 +0000

“Collaboration” has become a new buzz term in the journalism world.

With many local newsrooms trying to do more with less these days, looking outside your newsroom to partner with other local news publications can have the effect of having a larger, more diverse staff that can cover more topics, more areas of your region, and be more representative of your community.

In this guide, we will walk you through key questions to ask when considering a partnership, as well as ideas and tips for success and best practices for cross-newsroom collaboration.

We will also profile a successful partnership between the newsrooms at The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News, outlining how they did it, from the formal arrangement to working together on stories, events and more.

Download Now

How you can use the Guide:

This Guide provides practical tips and advice to help ensure a successful news publishing partnership, from identifying potential partners, to getting to know your partner, to leveraging your partnership outside the newsroom and over the long-term.

Throughout the Guide, there are helpful worksheets for you to fill in as you go, prompting you to think about key questions you should ask yourself as you are exploring and navigating a new partnership. Tips and ideas are sprinkled throughout the Guide to help build and strengthen the partnership and resulting coverage.

The case study with The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News provides a model for a successful partnership that is respectful, strategic and utilizes effective communications. Their journey provides a useful road map for other newsrooms who are looking to expand their coverage, as well as ensure their reporting is more inclusive and representative of their community. Insightful commentary from both publishers offers the keys to their success.

What you’ll find in the Guide:

Key questions to ask yourself as you are thinking about a partner (e.g., What gaps in your coverage could a partner help fill?)
Tips and ideas to try as you explore a potential partnership and when working with a partner
Ways to deepen your understanding of and relationship with your partner across the organization
Interactive worksheets to organize your thoughts and priorities; brainstorm potential partners; think about collaboration opportunities outside of the newsroom; consider potential challenges and responses; etc.
Handling breaking news coverage
Communicating publicly about your partnership
What has made The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News partnership successful and how to apply the learnings
Key takeaways to help ensure your partnership is a success